For one spice, cinnamon sure wears a lot of hats. Just like Sailor Moon with her disguise pen, cinnamon can be just about anything: the faint infusion grounding Cinnamon Toast Crunch’s hyper sweetness. The sinful spear wielded by a Hot Tamale. Or the soon-to-be-regretted cornerstone ingredient in the tempting elixir known as Rumchata (or the more nefarious, Fireball).

The point is that, though it’s simple to write off the likes of Cinnamon Cheerios as ‘just another cinnamon cereal,’ the rich historical matrix of cinnamon cereals proves that very few of them—from Cinnabon Cereal to Cinnamon Crunch Krave—present the exact same shade of auburn delight. So while your first reaction—as mine was—to Cinnamon Cheerios may be “oh, it’s just Diet Oat Crunch,” I’m happy to report that not only are Cinnamon Cheerios a wonderful gluten-free option for cinnamon cereal fans, but their approach to cinnamon is different enough to make both worthy of a place in your pantry.

But I’ve said too much: let’s start from the top of the bowl.

The first key difference between these Cinnamon Cheerios and their crunchy oat compatriots is a textural one. Whereas Oat Crunch was sticky with glazed-on goodness and (of course) super crunchy with its weaved-in wisps of scattered granola slivers, GF Cinnamon Cheerios (not to be confused with GirlFriend Cinnamon Cheerios, which is the second box you buy as a domestic bliss insurance policy) are soft, pillowy, and lightly powdered with flavor. This leads to hand/spoon/mouth-vacuum-fuls that can be quickly chewed to the consistency of warm oatmeal.

Though this mouthfeel may sound unappetizing (and misophonic), it plays well with these burnt sienna hoops’ gentle, yet genuine cinnamon flavor. This lovingly dusted texture makes it feel like you’re getting a mouthful of real cinnamon, but in reality the taste strikes a tongue-tickling three-part balance between mild cinnamon spice, wholesome toasted oat, and a comforting brown sugar sweetness. It’s exactly that toasty tempering oat element that makes this, and all GF Cheerios, top tier gluten-free cereals. For oat flour has always made the best, heartiest cereals, and Cinnamon Cheerios are no exception—in fact, I’d love for more cereals to forego gluten if it means wider acceptance of the humble oat.

Despite the toasted oat, Cinnamon Cheerios nevertheless lack the dark, roasted cinnamon undertones that made Cinnamon Oat Crunch so mouthwateringly memorable. As I mentioned, this is a lighter and brighter cinnamon—the kind of cinnamon you’d let stay over at your house without fear of them practicing black magic in the basement. And you don’t want to mess with forbidden cereal alchemy. That’s how you end up summoning the charred, monstrous and unwrapped remains of Yummy Mummy.

If I have any problem with Cinnamon Cheerios, it’s their fair-to-middling in-milk performance. The precarious trinity of brown-cinna-oat taste is torn asunder by a dairy deluge, erasing a lot of the nuance and leaving behind mealy, meatless oats—albeit with a charmingly swirled endmilk that almost makes up for the easily soggened husks of Cinnamon Cheerios past.

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Cheerios is a cereal I have to recommend eating dry. It has the potential to be an immediate cozy classic, but its over-reliance on careful ingredient composure fails to set it apart when doused in classic cereal fashion. Nevertheless, it’s sure to be a hit with gluten-free breakfasters everywhere, while experimental cinnamon seekers will still enjoy it—especially when it has such great mixing potential with Cinnamon Oat Crunch.

Now if only every ‘regular’ Cheerios flavor could get the Oat Crunch bump. I’m looking at you, Banana Nut & Chocolate Peanut Butter.

The Bowl: Gluten-Free Cinnamon Cheerios

The Breakdown: A fun and palate-kissing ode to lush and plush cinnamon sweetness, this is more than just a toned-down Toast Crunch: oat and brown sugar complement the spice well, even if this mutualistic relationship gets a bit upset in milk.

The Bottom Line: 8 laws of equivalent oat exchange out of 10